PCB potting material in electronic manufacturing and assembly

In electronic manufacturing, potting boxes are very common and act as enclosures. These protect the internal components of a box from environmental factors and physical damage. With potting, you can enhance the insulation of the electronics in question.

The potting approach is different from other strategies used in designing enclosures. This is because the enclosures are usually filled with compounds that are semi-solid to protect and preserve components. This can be confusing at times.

The basics

Potting is sometimes referred to as embedment. This is the process where an electronic assembly is filled with special or solid jelly to make sure there is enhanced resistance. This means the components stay free of corrosive agents, moisture, water-gaseous compounds, vibrations, and shock.

A potting box is usually a medium to small-sized case used to encapsulate the electronic assembly or the printed circuit board. Some come with a special cavity bearing a much larger enclosure intended to give specialized protection.

Electronic potting benefits

When you pot electronics, you boost protection against voltage, leaks, moisture, and tampering. This results in an impaired electronic with better circuit reliability and electronic performance.

When potting compounds are used, electronics are protected from vibrations, shocks, and other impacts. In case of vibrations, there may be wiring disconnections leading to malfunction of the system. Vibrations of PCBs lead to the coupling of the same. This leads to stress amplification, and you find that the circuit board fails quite early. Potting makes the printed circuit boards vibration and shock-resistant.

When an electronic or electrical component is potted, it is protected from dirt and dust, which is usually closely associated with reduced performance and speed. It also leads to signal interference and overheating.

Potting compounds

If you were to browse the internet, you would find many potting compounds products that you could consider using. However, you need to appreciate that all potting compounds are not made equal. They all have their set of pros and cons.

The kind of potting compound you pick should be based on the project you are handling. In most cases, people opt for silicone urethane and epoxy.

Picking the right compounds

There are important factors that have to be considered when picking the best compound. They include:

Hardness: if you want abrasion and weather resistance, then harder compounds are ideal. Urethane and epoxy are the best in this case. They give rigid and hard outcomes upon curing. Silicone goes a hard but flexible hardness.

Viscosity: some applications need low viscosity to allow compounds to flow and level. Standard compounds have this kind of viscosity.

Color: you need to consider color as well, especially if visibility is an issue. There are all sorts of colors and transparent compounds for optically clear applications.

Thermal conductivity: it is always wise to pick the highest conductivity to easily dissipate or manage the heat that is usually synonymous with devices. Silicone is the best in this case.

Bottom line

There are several considerations that have to be made when looking for the best potting compound. With the right idea in mind, you should be able to get the best option. The easiest way to achieve this is to work with DeepMaterial. We can guide you on the selection process while supplying custom solutions to match your particular need.

For more about PCB potting material in electronic manufacturing and assembly,you can pay a visit to DeepMaterial at https://www.epoxyadhesiveglue.com/category/pcb-potting-material/ for more info.